The $109 billion bill was overwhelmingly passed with bipartisan support.

The bill must now be approved by the House of Representatives, where a different version of the bill is currently idling.

Under the terms of the bill, states would have greater oversight as to which transportation projects were made priorities. That would mean projects like the MTA’s plan to build a second track for the LIRR between Ronkonkoma and Farmingdale could become priorities and be built sooner.

One of the major impediments to the MTA’s plan for a second rail has been a federal mandate requiring the implementation of Positive Train Control signaling the MTA estimates will cost $750 million, and is required to be completed by 2015. This signaling is designed to better monitor train movement, allowing operators to receive information about location of other trains with GPS-based technology, to ensure safety. Under the Senate’s transportation bill, that 2015 deadline could be extended until 2018, giving the MTA more time to come up with funding, and allow the technology to become more fully developed, which would likely also bring down its cost.

“Our bipartisan bill provides the MTA with the needed flexibility to finally devote the resources to move forward with this second track; a project the agency itself described as its most important project for the Long Island Rail Road,” Schumer said. “A second track would radically reduce commuting times, facilitate the flow of workers into and out of Long Island, spur the growth of MacArthur Airport and create a job creation corridor right down the center of the Island.”